


Anything But Predictable | Chapter 2

by alltimefail01



Series: Anything But Predictable (Zalex, 13rw) [2]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Bullying, Canon Ableist/Homophobic/Hateful language, Canon Disabled Character, Drama & Romance, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post Season 2, Recovery, References to Canon, discussion of sexuality, mild violence, possible sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 17:01:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15778311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltimefail01/pseuds/alltimefail01
Summary: As the weather heats up and school comes to an end for summer vacation, Zach Dempsey and Alex Standall decide they are going to make sure that this summer will be different than the last-they're going to make the most of it before the start of their senior year.Between late-nights at Alex's house, long drives in Zach's car, adventures around town, road-trips, friendships, and honest conversations, two boys find that life has a way of drawing two people together in the best way, at the best time, exactly when they need it.





	Anything But Predictable | Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

> Here it finally is, the second chapter of "Anything But Predictable!"  
>    
>  _General warnings: this story will reference many of the tough topics talked about in 13 Reasons Why. This is including (but not limited to) Alex's suicide attempt, the trial against Bryce Walker, sexual assault, bullying, cursing/language, and much of the current conflict surrounding Tyler Down. If this content is triggering in any way to you, please keep that in mind before reading this story! In this particular chapter there will be some *mild* violence and bullying happening. Again, if this is something that could possibly be a trigger, take caution!_  
>   
> 
> Thank you all for reading, leaving kudos, and being so encouraging. This story is just getting started, so I hope you'll stick around and enjoy! Please comment and leave *kudos*! Every little bit of encouragement is appreciated sincerely.

                Light peeked through the blinds of Alex Standall’s window in a way that was almost dream-like. The cotton fabric of the comforter was only partially entangled around Zach now, rustled from deep sleep movements and temperature readjusting throughout the night. Unlike the night before, everything in the small room was now visible: all the posters, trinkets, CDs, books, records, and bits of clothing strung about now clear, telling a story of the boy who lived within the faint-blue walls. As Zach opened his eyes he first noticed his best friend who had taken most of the cover at some point during the night. Alex was facing him, one arm lazily slung over Zach’s waist and his head tucked into the pillow, nearly on Zach’s shoulder.

                His moment of sleepy bliss was interrupted by shuffling coming from across the room. Startled, Zach blinked a few times to get the morning haziness from his eyes and quickly realized that the rustling was coming from Alex’s mom, who was setting down clothes on top of Alex’s desk. She realized almost immediately that she startled Zach, so she turned tentatively and gave him a sweet smile—one that made Zach see how much of a likeness she and her son had.

                “Good morning, I’m sorry if I startled you. I see he’s still fast asleep, huh?”

                Zach laughs, a little nervous that Mrs. Standall would have questions about why he was there, how he got into Alex’s room, and what he was doing laying so close to her son. He worries that maybe she knows something that he didn’t...like she was able to somehow look straight through him and formulate conclusions about his feelings, so he pulls together a quick response. “Oh yeah, he’s a super sound sleeper…” Zach immediately mentally kicks himself because of course, Alex’s _mother_ would know that.

                “Oh yes, Alex always has been. Can you wake him and make sure he gets ready for school? I’ll be finishing up breakfast downstairs. Any requests?”

                Zach feels his heartbeat slow as he realizes that Alex’s mom wasn’t going to question him about the situation. He’d never felt so thankful for how understanding she always was, mostly because he wasn’t sure that he could answer questions without feeling a million things at once that even he didn’t understand. He sat up a little, careful not to wake Alex or move the arm that Zach was all too comfortable with around his torso. He couldn’t help but think how much he could get used to this feeling, and how giddy he felt to keep Alex so close and so safe.

                “For sure, I’ll make sure he gets up. I’m down with anything, honestly. Thank you, Mrs. Standall.”

                She nods at him then, rewarding him with another warm, thankful smile before heading for the door. Just as she is about to exit, she turns and adds, “By the way Zach, I pulled out some of Peter’s old clothes for you, just in case you didn’t bring anything to change into. They should fit fine, but if you need anything else please let me or Mr. Standall know, okay?”

                Zach hadn’t even thought about what he’d do about clothes for school: it’s not like he could have worn anything of Alex’s, and a sweatshirt with no shirt underneath, a pair of athletic shorts, and slides weren’t exactly school-appropriate (or weather-appropriate) attire.

                “Thank you again Mrs. Standall, I appreciate that so much.” She left then, leaving Zach floating in a state of euphoric happiness. The phrase “cloud-9” suddenly made much more sense to him and yet didn’t even begin to cover the bubbly feeling he woke up with. Maybe it was Alex, maybe it was his family’s kindness, maybe it was a combination of all those things—regardless, this was the first time in weeks that Zach didn’t wake up in a cold sweat.

                The moment was halted by a loud groan coming from Alex moving his arm, perhaps oblivious and not awake enough to register that he was nearly spooning Zach. Zach immediately missed the contact but tried not to show it too much.

                “What time is it?” Alex placed the pillow over his head, blocking out the golden beams illuminating his room.

                “Time to wake up, sleepy head. We have to get ready for school.”

                “Fuck school, you say that like it’s a good thing.”

                “Well, this is the last week so… that’s a good thing!” Zach couldn’t take his eyes off Alex. Even in Alex’s cranky morning state, there was still something so inviting about him. Zach never considered himself much of a morning person until he got to know Alex a little better and saw what a true night-owl looked like. That was okay to Zach though because it just meant that he had an opportunity to cheer up the smaller boy right off the bat.

                Alex softened a bit, also feeling a little lighter, too. Having Zach there made it a little easier for Alex to get up and want to go about his day: there was something so normal and comfortable about waking up next to Zach. In his casual sarcasm, Alex grumbled combinations of “Yeah, whatever” and “didn’t come fast enough” whilst sitting up, reaching for his cane to maneuver out of bed. Zach always was careful not to jump up too quickly and help Alex because he didn’t want to make him feel helpless or make him too dependent on the resources around him—Alex worked hard in PT and he made a lot of progress, and Zach had faith that in time he wouldn’t even need his cane. Even with all that in consideration, it was still difficult for Zach to ignore the feeling of wanting to get up and lace his arm around Alex, guide him and help him in all the ways he wanted. There were times where he just wanted to let Alex lean on him 100%, especially on the days when Alex felt like he’d never get any better, but he fought that urge because he wanted Alex to see just how strong he truly was, is, and always would be.

                The morning persisted like that, with both boys getting ready as they normally would with the addition of an occasional encouragement from Zach when Alex would get in one of his moods, returned with dramatic sarcasm and secret smiles that just said _I’m happy you’re here_.

                Zach kept his eyes to himself, mostly because he didn’t want to make Alex uncomfortable but also because in the small chance that he did let himself divulge into that unknown territory, it was unlikely that he would come out unphased. Lately (as in the last two months-or-so) he’d found himself undeniably attracted to Alex, and the feeling was completely foreign to him and all together incredibly difficult to understand. Most of the time he attributed that to curiosity, hormones, or stress. Lately, however, he wasn’t so sure that it was so simple. He wasn’t exactly a pro when it came to navigating the waters of sexuality, and Zach hadn’t ever questioned his own sexual orientation until recently. It wasn’t necessarily true that he’d never found a guy attractive before; he’d just never liked a guy enough to desire to be in a relationship with one, which Zach felt was key—he wasn’t opposed to dating a guy, he’d just never fallen for one enough to be in a committed relationship or take that leap of faith away from his own fears.

                Zach found himself attracted to Alex in the same way he’d been attracted to any other girl in his past, so it wasn’t like there was a noticeably different attraction: the only difference was that Alex was a guy, but Zach wasn’t even sure that mattered to him so much. Alex could identify as anything he wanted, and Zach knew that wouldn’t change anything about the way he felt. All the constructs set with regards to relationships and sexuality just muddied up the potential to love and getting into it all just left him confused and frustrated. He liked Alex for Alex, in the same way that he liked Hannah for Hannah: to him, it was as plain as that. At times he felt lonely, like the only person who felt that way, and just thinking about trying to explain such an abstract concept to his mother, his friends, and even Alex made his head hurt… so he averted his eyes, in hopes he could escape this morning without becoming distracted by Alex Standall in his boxers.

                On the flip-side, Alex struggled to _not_ watch the way Zach’s body moved. He can’t stop himself from observing how Zach’s muscles tensed and un-tensed with each maneuver and how when the light hit him just right, there was a certain golden undertone to his tanned skin that makes Alex want to run his fingers on each bump and curve. His eyes traced the lines from the tip of Zach’s chin, up his defined jawline, and then down his neck and shoulders as he desperately tried to memorize every inch of Zach’s features that his brain will allow—all the distinguishable muscles and the sensitive spots that are highlighted whenever Zach turned his head or laughed or even smiled too big.

                He bit his lower lip to hold back the flush in his cheeks as he considered the way Zach’s Adam’s apple dipped up and down effortlessly and enthusiastically whenever he talked—only making Alex’s mind wander to what it would look like when Zach felt _pleasure_. He had imagined the part of Zach’s lips, the throaty moans that would escape between heavy breaths a million times, knowing that imagining was all Alex could really do. Zach got dressed, completely unaware of Alex’s distracted stature as he pulled the grey t-shirt left for him over his head and guided the pair of jeans over his legs, buttoning them seamlessly, all too quickly in Alex’s opinion. He doesn’t see how dizzy it makes Alex feel, like something hit him in the chest and knocked the wind from his lungs. Alex always admired Zach’s body, knowing how hard he worked to keep in shape but never acting like an asshole about it. Zach had absolutely no reason to feel inferior to any guy or girl at Liberty High School because _he was damn near flawless._

                Once they both finished getting dressed they headed to the kitchen. Alex’s mom was rushing around, like usual, finishing up breakfast and packing Alex’s lunch all while pulling her own things together for another long workday. Alex’s dad, on the other hand, was already reading through the paper with a coffee in hand, cool and collected. He was grumbling to his wife about paranoia being pushed by the press, but once they see Alex and Zach their expressions and topic of conversation shift from pensive and exhausted to happy and welcoming. It was no secret that this transition always bothered Alex, as he felt it was contrived, but he didn’t say anything to point out their shift in mood—instead, he simply sat down, gesturing for Zach to come and do the same.

                They ate some sort of egg and spinach breakfast concoction in comfortable silence: every now and again Alex’s dad would ask Zach about something sports related, or Alex’s mom would bring up Zach’s mom, his sister, his grades and so on. None of it bothered Zach, maybe because he always felt sort of natural hanging out with Alex’s family like this. He hardly ever got to spend mornings with Alex, so he loved every second of it. Some mornings, when he was alone, he would let his mind humor thoughts about what it could be like after high school when all the drama would be far away and the promise of starting over would be before him, Alex, and their friends. Some nights he would dream of waking up next to Alex every morning, coming home to an apartment where his best friend would be waiting for him to tell him all about his day, and Zach would just get to listen.

                It was becoming increasingly clear to Zach that he refused to see a future that didn’t include Alex in it. Somewhere deep inside him, he hoped that Alex Standall felt the same way about him, too.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The drive to school went as usual: Alex immediately plugged his phone into the aux chord and began playing music that Zach had never even heard of, and Zach responded with joking complaints about how terrible it was but never actually tried to turn it off. Alex then spent most of the car ride joking about Zach’s music taste and how “unoriginal” and “uninspired” it was, and of course Zach would respond in fake shock and awe, defending it only to end up conceding that Alex’s music wasn’t _that bad_ after all.

                When they finally did arrive to school, Zach got out of the car and helped his best friend from the passenger’s side They walked through the front doors and down the halls of Liberty High School just like they did every day: Alex’s hand gripped carefully around Zach’s forearm as Zach guided him through the sea of restless teenagers. Everyone was completely beside themselves now, consumed with the thought of getting away from all the insanity that had happened over the past few months. There was a certain lightness to the atmosphere as people were beginning to relax, leaning into the idea of sunshine, traveling, and no responsibilities, but it hardly ever stayed that way for long at Liberty.

                Suddenly and without warning, Alex felt his cane being pulled out from under him. Zach quickly wrapped his free arm around Alex to keep him from falling, helping him balance before grabbing the cane off the ground and handing it back to his best friend. Once he knew Alex was stable, his eyes immediately landed on Montgomery De La Cruz just slightly ahead of them down the hall: he was looking back at the two of them, standing only a few inches away and laughing about something with some of the other guys on the baseball team. In the cruelest of ironies, it brought a sea of memories and regret to the forefront of Zach’s mind.

                He was tired of running away.

                Without thinking, Zach ran up to the group and grabbed Monty by his backpack, spinning him around only to take him by the collar of his shirt with both hands, slamming him into the nearby lockers with all the force he had. Monty was clearly shocked but wasn’t going to let Zach feel in power so easily.

                Looking up at Zach with a mocking grin, he tilted his head to the side in fake confusion, “Hey Dempsey, problem?”

                “Fuck you Monty.”

                “You wish you could, Dempsey.”

                “If you ever pull something like that again and I swear I will punch your teeth down your throat.”

                Montgomery brushed off Zach’s threat, jeering back at him instantly, “So, you’ve got the hots for Standall now? First Hannah and now Alex…you’ve got some sick kinks man. They must be your _type_. Whatever gets you going I guess.”

                Something about Monty calling Hannah and Alex his _type_ sends Zach into a frenzy of raw anger. Monty’s allegations are in no way okay: him talking about Alex or Hannah or anyone like that is not okay. Without hesitation, Zach placed one hand on Monty’s throat, applying just enough pressure to make him uncomfortable.

                “I suggest you get the hell away from here before someone has to roll you out on a stretcher.” Zach could hear Alex’s protests in the background, but he just continued to apply pressure on Monty’s throat anyway. All the anger, confusion, and frustration he’d felt over the past year was bubbling over now. Out of the corner of Zach’s eye, he could see a few of their friends gathering around him, Monty, and Alex.  Within seconds of their friends gathering, it was Clay he noticed stepping forward—Clay placed his shaky hand on Zach’s arm instantly, urging him to let go.

                “Zach, he’s not worth getting kicked out of school. He’s not worth anything. He was just leaving, right Montgomery?” Clay gave Monty a matter-a-fact look as if he were feeding him the answers and all Monty had to do was agree. His eyebrows raised expectantly, his stature saying that he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, but Monty surely was.

                Montgomery nodded after a moment of stubborn rebellion, and Zach reluctantly released his hand from Monty’s throat but doesn’t release the hand pressing him against the locker. Monty is left gasping, catching his breath before regaining composure and smiling his classic, soulless smile. He looked up at Zach coldly, leaning in and lowering his voice to a flat whisper. “Oh, I get it! You think you’re some kind of hero now, huh Dempsey? You think that you’re better than all of us?”

                A wicked laugh rumbled out of him as if he had reached into Zach’s mind and found the weak spot, a punchline to his own cruel joke. He was enjoying his own twisted words all too much. Zach watched carefully, a little bit of his tough-guy-stature softened as he worried what would happen next. He glanced over at Alex, who was undeniably angry and…something else? Scared, sad… he felt like a monster suddenly, even though he was only so angry because he wanted to protect his best friend. Regret began to well up as he second-guessed his impulsivity. The room began to spin, and the shouts of people around him felt fainter and fainter as the seconds past.

                While Zach was distracted, Monty stepped forward and grabbed Zach’s arm, twisting it slow and rough—mercilessly enjoying the pain he was inflicting. He felt rewarded by a sharp intake of breath from Zach, so he placed his lips nearly to Zach’s ear as he continued, “Nah, you’re a bitch is all, and you always have been. The only difference is that you’re their bitch now instead of Bryce’s bitch…” He shoved Zach back a little, releasing Zach’s arm as he did so.

                Zach didn’t really notice the crowd expand and suddenly it was like the world went mute, and all he could see was red. Monty spits at the ground next to Zach’s feet, looking into his eyes menacingly, provocatively… expectantly. “That makes you a coward either way in my book.”

                And with that, Zach felt all his self-control leave his body: he shoved Clay out of the way and reeled back a fist, only for the blow of his hand to be stopped as he felt a more intimate, familiar hand pull his own arm down and guide him away roughly, causing him to release Montgomery completely. He met Alex’s eyes, which were screaming a million emotions that Zach couldn’t place, but among the most obvious was assertion—an assertion that Zach was to stop what he was doing _right now_.

                “That’s right Zachy, why don’t you listen to your boyfriend…”

                “Montgomery De La Cruz: I assume you’ve retrieved your things from your locker by now. You’ve got about 5 seconds to remove yourself from this campus before I get the police involved and have to call your father. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” Everyone turned to see Principle Bolan standing with his arms crossed, a tired and emotionless expression plastered across his face. Monty shot a glare Zach’s way before shaking his head incredulously, pushing past the crowd that had formed.

                Zach only felt relief momentarily before Mr. Bolan looked at him, a bit of danger dancing in his eyes. “Mr. Dempsey, I’m going to assume this altercation was a one-time thing and that it will not happen again, correct?”

                Zach gritted his teeth, wanting more than anything to scream about Liberty High School, about the hateful and careless school administration, about his own thoughtless actions, about the possibility of this world hurting Alex and Zach not being there at the right time to stop it, about the fact that some days it felt like the bad guys always got away with the same-old bullshit…but he couldn’t scream, not here at least. He could feel all his friends staring intently at him, the tension palpable as they anticipated what his response would be.

                Taking a deep breath before answering, Zach looked down at his feet, knowing this would be a losing battle for him if he chose to fight. He reassured himself that school was nearly out for the summer and that Monty wouldn’t be an issue, at least for now, so fighting would be almost useless. Nodding, he responded almost through his teeth, jaw locked in a firm position of frustration.

                 “Yes, sir…it won’t happen again, my apologies.”

                Mr. Bolan smiled an empty, fake smile. “Wonderful. Now get to class.” He walked away, leaving everyone shuffling for their homerooms in baffled discomfort, their speculative whispers fading as they dispersed into various rooms. The baseball players were the last to leave the sight, unsure of what to say or do before deciding that staying back might only make things worse. Only a moment of silence passed before Sheri scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning on one hip in complete disbelief. “This place is so messed up.”

                “Typical Liberty.” Clay shook his head and threw his arms up in surrender, obviously exhausted from months of repetitive injustice, his eye-bags having eye-bags of their own at this point. “Typical fucking Bolan.”

                Tony chimed in, his voice even as he tried to calm everyone down. “Well, it’s over now. Don’t let him see you sweat Zach, that’s what guys like him always want.” He placed both of his hands atop Clay’s shoulders, rubbing circles for only a moment before reassuringly patting them and letting go. He did his best to help Clay avoid his recently developed state of full-on panic mode.

                Courtney nodded, “Monty is pathetic, and he just wants attention. Who even acts like that?” Ryan responded with a long “Mmmmhmm…” in agreeance with his best friend. “He’s truly the epitome of a hopeless Neanderthal—another lost cause for the books I’m afraid—like anyone is shocked. Snore.”

                “Are you okay, Zach?” Jess pulled away from the crowd and placed her hand on Zach’s arm, gently. Her voice is low, careful and kind like always, interrupting the slur of shit-talking and venting happening around them. Zach broke his pleading stare toward Alex, who wouldn’t even meet his eyes, and he directs his gaze down at her, eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

                “Oh yeah, I’m fantastic. Thanks, Jess.” It came out much harsher than he intended.

                “Chill the fuck out Dempsey, she didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t have to talk to her like that.” Zach made eye contact with Justin, guilt sinking into his chest.

                “Sorry Jess, I—I didn’t mean it to come off like that. I’m just in my head right now is all.”

                She contrived a worried smile, holding back the obvious hurt she feels. Looking between him and Alex, something almost seemed to click in her, like an answer to an ongoing question was finally answered. “No worries Zachy, I totally get it.” But Zach knew she didn’t get it because no one could get it, not even Zach.

                “Alex…” Zach interrupted his own train of thought by turning toward Alex again, voice no louder than a whisper and worry wrote all over his face, “Are you okay? You aren’t like, hurt or anything are you?”

                “I’m fine, Zach.” His words came out pointed, his expression clearly embarrassed. Zach knew that Alex wanted to take care of himself, but Alex just didn’t understand that getting in a fight with Monty would not only be stupid, but it could also be dangerous, and if he really wanted to get better he couldn’t be putting himself at risk to be hurt worse—not just with Monty, but with anyone. Zach took a step forward and when Alex didn’t move, he took that as a cue to put his arm around him.

                At first, Alex stiffened, but then he leaned into the touch, sighing. The warning bell rang, and everyone began to give hugs and exchange reassurances of talking more at lunch. Alex and Zach walked to class, mostly in silence, before Alex finally spoke up.

                “You don’t have to do that.”

                “Do what?” Zach tried not to sound too happy that Alex gave up on the silent treatment.

                “You don’t have to fight my fucking battles. He clearly wasn’t trying to mess with you.”

                “By messing with you, he was messing with me.”

                “You’re my friend, not my bodyguard. I can take care of my God-damn self, Zach.”

                “I believe you mean best friend.”

                “Zach, not the point.” Alex tried to hide the smile forming just on the very edge of his lips, which only made Zach feel even giddier, but he decided to not let enthusiasm get the best of him and do his best to take into serious consideration what Alex was saying.

                “I know I don’t have to do that, but I’m tired of letting people like him get away with that shit. I watched it for too long, you know? I know you’re not helpless, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to want to help you sometimes.”

                “I don’t want you getting hurt.” Alex glanced over at Zach’s arm which is beginning to show just a bit of bruising, only making Alex even more genuinely troubled at the thought of Zach fighting, so Zach tried to lighten the mood a little. He stopped and turned toward Alex, a mischievous smile growing on his features.

                “Woah, Woah, Woah…wait—you think I’d be the one getting hurt? Standall, you obviously don’t know what I’d do for the people I care about. Monty’s got nothing on this…” he raised his arms jokingly, fake flexing only to receive a dramatic eye roll from Alex.

                “I know you’re perfectly capable of kicking his ass, I just don’t want it to be over me, okay?”

                Zach became serious again, shaking his head at Alex’s comment, “I can’t promise you that I’ll ever let him treat you like that, Alex. I can’t let them do that to you anymore, I’m sick of acting like this stupid fucking coward all the time, okay? Let’s just please drop it…please.” Without thinking Zach grabbed Alex’s hand, squeezing it lightly. He could feel the blush making its way up his neck, but he didn’t pull away immediately, and then Alex squeezed back. There was a hint of surprise hidden in Alex’s features, and he said nothing in response, but that squeeze was all Zach needed to change gears and rewire himself into a better mood. _That was the sort of things friends did for each other… right?_ They let their hands linger there, entwined for a short second before pulling them apart and continuing onto class again.

                After dropping Alex off at his homeroom and being late to his own homeroom, Zach spent the rest of the morning zoning out, thinking about how he could make Alex’s day better after the situation with Montgomery. He started writing down some ideas in his notebook throughout each period, planning activity after activity for them to do together. It was right before lunch when he finally finished his list and realized that there was no way they could get all of it done in one day…

                _Then it hit him._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zach spent all of lunch trying to hide his excitement: he basically ignored everyone besides Alex, keeping everything in until the end of the day when it came time to give Alex a ride to PT and then back to his house to hang out. Once the final bell rang he hurriedly helped Alex pack up his backpack, carrying his own bag and Alex’s with ease even though Alex protested. He was so overjoyed that he probably would have carried Alex too if he let him.

                Once they both arrived at Zach’s car, Zach threw both of their backpacks into his trunk and then helped Alex into his car, even buckling him in. He ran around to the driver’s side and plopped onto the seat, turning the key in the ignition and driving off without so much as a look back. Before Alex could plug in his phone, Zach turned the radio off and smiled a huge smile at his best friend.

                “Alright Zach, what the hell is wrong with—”

                “I made us a summer bucket list.” Zach couldn’t contain his excitement anymore as he blurted the words out, feeling an even combination of silly and excited. He watched Alex’s response in his peripheral vision and felt his heart sink as confusion seemed to be the only palpable emotion Alex was conveying.

                “What?”

                Nervously, Zach persisted. “Well, I um—I just was thinking today that we have all this time over the summer to hang out, so I put together a list of things that we could do, like…together.” Zach felt more and more unsure of his words...like maybe he’d made Alex uncomfortable. What if he didn’t really want to hang out with Zach that much, or what if he thought that was a super weird thing for a friend to do for another friend?

                “Oh…” Alex smiled at Zach reassuringly, “Are you finally going to take me on some proper dates, Dempsey?”

                Zach’s face immediately turned beet-red—was he too obvious? Clearing his throat, he tensed his fingers on the wheel a little before releasing a semi-shaky, hopefully not-too-obviously nervous laugh. “Dates?”

                Alex raised an eyebrow, oblivious to Zach’s discomfort. “Um… yes? I mean, you get me half-naked in a pool every day pretty much, it’s about time you took me out for dinner.”

                _He was joking oh thank God_. Zach released all of the breath he’d been holding and returned Alex’s joke with a real laugh this time. “Wow, I guess I never thought of it that way.”

                “Yeah, I mean you’re never going to get my trunks off if you keep holding out on me, Zach. I’m a classy date.”

                “I don’t doubt it, Standall. I too have high standards, obviously.”

                “Obviously. Now, tell me more about this list.”

                Zach spent the rest of the car ride going on about his ideas for how they could spend summer vacation. Alex always hated when summer would come along because he always ended up being bored halfway through June, left to basically sit in his room and do nothing. It wasn’t like he preferred being in school, but he just always felt summer was something that everyone built up to be this amazing thing when in reality it was only great because it was compared to high school, and anything would seem amazing in comparison to that. However, he couldn’t deny that there was something adorable and kind of amazing about how much thought Zach put into making the summer great, and he’d never say it out loud, but it meant even more that he wanted to do it all with Alex. The thought of having more time with Zach was enough to make Alex jump on board with the idea of an eventful summer, even if it meant a lot more time in the heat because, in the end, it was all worth it to be with Zach.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Friday arrived far too slowly: Zach could feel himself ticking off the minutes in his mind leading to the final bell. He doodled in his notebook, giving no attention to his history teacher as he rambled about how great of a class they were and how “proud” he was, all while he shot secret glances up at the clock just as much as his students.  Zach couldn’t even hide his smile as bell finally chimed, receiving cheers from everyone in the room. The energy was truly electric just like one of those stupid teen movies, and the positivity was buzzing from teen to teen as they packed up the few things they carried with them. All the waiting was worth it because Zach had months of freedom to look forward too, months of time to just do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted… _whoever he wanted mostly meaning Alex of course._

                Zach was up and out of the room before anyone else, running down the halls to meet Alex at his locker. To his surprise, Alex was already there, placing the last few items from his locker in his bookbag which Zach immediately took onto his own shoulder, smiling down at the smaller boy and sneaking him a wink.

                “I’ve got this, thank you…” Zach hesitated for only a moment before putting his arm around Alex’s lower back, beginning to guide him like usual but with just a little bit more closeness. After all, it was the last day of school and Zach was in the best mood he’d been in for weeks, so he wasn’t going to waste any moment he had with Alex moving forward. He bit his bottom lip shyly (a nervous-tick he’d acquired at a young age) as he let his mind weigh the words his mouth desired to say for only a second before impulsively adding, “And you. I’ve got you, too.”

                Alex’s skin reddened slightly at that: Zach had been strangely sweet lately, even more so than his typical boy-scout, Captain America-like self. He looked up at Zach, expecting to find the typical clueless, puppy-ish innocence and naivety in his eyes. When they made contact, however, he couldn’t quite place the new gleam they held. It occurred to Alex then that Zach’s words did not derive out of obliviousness, but rather out of intention. Zach Dempsey was ripping a wall down, piece by piece, and it was like Alex was looking at a part of him that hadn’t existed before: something new was growing there, and Alex felt a sense of joy because he was there to see it: he was so thankful because he would re-live all the hell he’d been through if it meant he’d get to bask in this moment even just one more time.

                Zach and Alex were at the car in under 5 minutes, buckling in and zooming out of the lot before chaos ensued. They don’t waste time saying goodbyes or handing out well-wishes for summer; they just drove off, leaving a chapter behind them as Alex turned up the radio. Zach turned his head just enough to sneak a look at Alex, who was sneaking a look at Zach, and they both just ended up laughing at the whole thing because it was completely euphoric and awkward and amazing that the universe had brought them together, and Zach took the moment to wish on everything he had that it will always be that way.

                The car came to a stop at the red light, and Zach turned slightly, feeling a buzz of adrenaline rush through his body. “I was thinking we’d start the summer off big, if you’re down.”

                Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued and skeptical. “I mean, I’m not the one driving so… I guess I have no choice but to follow you anywhere, Dempsey.” He said it as a joke, but Zach hoped deep down that Alex would truly follow him anywhere, because Zach would follow Alex to the ends of the Earth and back if that’s what he wanted.

                “I was hoping you’d agree.” Zach placed a pair of sunglasses on coolly, shooting Alex a knowing grin, one that is full of mischief and childlike wonder. The light turned green and Zach rolled down the windows as he pressed the gas, driving Alex into the unknown…

                …and somehow to Alex, it feels okay, and he knows only one thing for certain: the unknown doesn’t seem so scary with Zach Dempsey.


End file.
